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Overview

If you loved I Am Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon you won't want to miss this novel about her sister, Grand Duchess Maria. What really happened to this lost Romanov daughter? A new novel perfect for anyone curious about Anastasia, Maria, and the other lost Romanov daughters, by the author of The Secret Wife.

1918: Pretty, vivacious Grand Duchess Maria Romanov, the nineteen-year-old daughter of the fallen Tsar Nicholas II, lives with her family in suffocating isolation, a far cry from their once-glittering royal household. Her days are a combination of endless boredom and paralyzing fear; her only respite are clandestine flirtations with a few of the guards imprisoning the family—never realizing her innocent actions could mean the difference between life and death

1973: When Val Doyle hears her father’s end-of-life confession, “I didn’t want to kill her,” she’s stunned. So, she begins a search for the truth—about his words and her past. The clues she discovers are baffling—a jewel-encrusted box that won’t open and a camera with its film intact. What she finds out pulls Val into one of the world’s greatest mysteries—what truly happened to the Grand Duchess Maria?

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Product Details

About the Author

Gill Paul is an author of historical fiction, specialising in relatively recent history. She has written two novels about the last Russian royal family: The Secret Wife, published in 2016, which tells the story of cavalry officer Dmitri Malama and Grand Duchess Tatiana, the second daughter of Russia’s last tsar; and The Lost Daughter, published in October 2018, that tells of the attachment Grand Duchess Maria formed with a guard in the house in Ekaterinburg where the family was held from April to July 1918.

Gill’s other novels include Another Woman’s Husband, about links you may not have been aware of between Wallis Simpson, later Duchess of Windsor, and Diana, Princess of Wales; Women and Children First, about a young steward who works on the Titanic; The Affair, set in Rome in 1961–62 as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton fall in love while making Cleopatra; and No Place for a Lady, about two Victorian sisters who travel out to the Crimean War of 1854–56 and face challenges beyond anything they could have imagined.

Editorial Reviews

06/17/2019

Paul (The Secret Wife) stirringly tracks the lives of two young women through the 20th century as they circle a Romanov mystery. In Russia in 1918, Maria, the 18-year-old daughter of the deposed Tsar Nicholas Romanov, escapes the revolution and finds safety in the anonymity of the countryside; in Australia in 1972, Val Doyle née Scott is married and has a child. But it isn’t until Val’s cold father Irwin Scott dies that she learns he had changed his name from Ivan Skorokhodov. Val moves through the mid-’70s, facing challenges with her abusive husband while following clues left by her father to investigate his possible connection with the Romanov family. In Maria’s story line, she finds love and eventually has a family, but in Leningrad, she must once again fight for survival during the Nazi siege in WWII. Paul adroitly balances her two story lines, showing the resilience and strength of both Maria and Val in their respective circumstances. This epic story is so engrossing that readers will have difficulty putting it down. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

In The Lost Daughter, [Gill Paul] has woven a heart-wrenching love story with a gripping historical mystery. This story is so real and compelling that you are there in the past and present all the way.

Karen Harper

Fascinating! Gill Paul captures this family and this period of history so vividly. Such a wonderful book!

Hazel Gaynor

A remarkable novel...I loved Maria’s courage in the face of revolution and war, and adored her fierce determination to protect her family. The history is fascinating, the love story passionate and the characters moving.

Natasha Lester

Riveting...At once richly descriptive and mysterious, Gill Paul demonstrates her extraordinary talents in this deeply affecting tale of war, forgiveness, and family legacy.

Heather Webb

Completely immersive. Gorgeous. Beautiful writing, great characters. I enjoyed it so, so much. Just brilliant!

Jenny Ashcroft

With The Lost Daughter, she has returned to the tragic Romanovs, creating another fascinating story that asks the haunting question: ‘what if one of them escaped?’ A pleasure to dive into.

Kate Riordan

Another brilliant read from Gill Paul. Two gripping stories entwine and kept me captivated till the last page. Kept me looking forward to getting back to it each evening.

Tracy Rees

Bold and powerful, filled with emotion, tension and vivid characters in a setting that is rich in historical detail.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Fascinating "what if" in an exiting period in history. Book blends two generations within the same family with skill and plenty of intrigue.

paigereadsthepage

18 days ago

A telling chronicle of love and loss. Without the tough moments, the outcome of life would be different. Would you trade a heartbreak in your past if you knew that you would be sacrificing something fulfilling that you would have in your future?
1918- There were always rumors that perhaps one of the Romanov girls survived. In The Lost Daughter, the story begins with the Romanovs being taken to the Ipatiev House. Being held as captives by the Bolsheviks, we see their imprisoned state through the eyes of the third daughter, Maria. Shortly after, Maria and her family are murdered but miraculously she survives. She is met with a new changing Russia, but how can she continue without her family?
1973- In Australia, Val’s father is dying, and she knows little to nothing about his past in Russia. He continues to murmur, “I didn’t want to kill her” which leaves Val with even more questions. Her mother left her when she was only thirteen, and without any other family she knows she must dig to uncover the lost remnants of her family’s history.
Historically, Gill Paul outdid herself. Spanning from 1918-1976, the reader is propelled through Russia’s changes. Communal blocks, rations, assigned jobs, “shock workers”, banned Orthodox churches, and secret police permeate the lives of Soviets after the Romanov's are killed. Ironically, Maria’s children are raised under the watchful eyes of communism and implanted with proletariat ideals. How can the same supporters who killed her own family claim they have the best intentions for her children?
Within Maria’s life we see a story of forgiveness, strength, perseverance, and hope. As a character, she transforms from a vulnerable and helpless young lady into a courageous and resilient woman through times of affliction and times of joy. Gill Paul flawlessly turns suffering into something beautiful through the character of Maria Romanov. The character of Maria is a hero, and she will stay with me for a long time.
HIGHLY recommend to lovers of historical fiction and those interested in the effects of the Bolshevik revolution. Please note, there is a rape scene at the beginning. Many thanks to NetGalley, Gill Paul, and HarperCollins for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Honolulubelle

4 days ago

Favorite Quotes:
The minutes crawled interminably, so slow she suspected the clock had been tampered with in order to torture them.
That evening, she explained to Nicole that a judge had decided she did not have to visit her daddy anymore. “OK.” Nicole nodded, quite happy with this. “Will I get a new daddy now? What do we have to do? Should we apply somewhere?”
If you can help someone without harming anyone else, then why on earth wouldn’t you do it?
My Review:
This was my first experience of being immersed in Gill Paul’s epic storytelling and I am beyond impressed. The Lost Daughter was beautifully written, lushly descriptive, and heartbreakingly realistic. Her emotive writing was taut with tension and pulled me right inside her characters’ various storylines. I felt my chest tighten as if I were fleeing with them and racing for escape while in danger of capture. The book spanned 90 years with an intriguing and enthralling fusion of fact and fiction. The story hit all the feels and I was enthralled, educated, and horrified yet highly entertained by Ms. Paul’s absorbing and well-crafted tale.

rendezvous_with_reading

6 days ago

What if history as we know it isn't the true story?
Thank you William Morrow Books, Gill Paul and TLC Book Tours for a free copy to review!
There is something about examining the "what ifs" in history that I find so interesting! For instance in this novel, the author's notes mention that when the main grave site for the Romanovs was exhumed and studied in the 1990s, it was discovered that the remains of Alexei and one of the younger girls - either Maria or Anastasia - were missing. Their grave was not found until 2007. Maria was known to be friendly and outgoing toward the guards. The author supposes; what if the guards were going to help any of the girls escape? Surely it have been Maria? The author gives Maria the life that history denied her. Its not just a look at how she might have escaped, but also how she might have lived hiding in plain sight and how she would have fared living under Lenin and the Bolsheviks, Stalin, and the Soviet Union.
The alternate plot, set in Australia in the 1970s, focused on Val, an abused wife, who desperately wants to escape her cruel husband. When her Russian born father leaves behind mementos that connect him to the Romanovs, it prompts her to discover the life he never talked about in Russia.
I was quite happy in the plots of both time periods. The chapters are grouped so that you spend several chapters in each period at a time. The author paints a very believable existence in 20th century Russia for Maria, and as the past catches up with the present, I found myself quickly flying thru 457 pages. This is only my second Gill Paul novel, but she's quickly becoming a favorite, as I find it easy to get immersed into her work. I've already added a couple more of her books to my TBR stack. A 2016 companion novel to this one, about Tatiana Romanov, is titled The Secret Wife.

RobinWillson

16 days ago

A family tragedy. A fight for love. A long-buried secret.
Russia 1918, the Tsar and Tsarina Romanov were executed in the Revolution. There were conflicting reports as to whether their five children were also executed. Because of the opulence and romance of a royal family, it was hoped that one or more of the children had escaped and hid themselves. I remember as I was growing up hearing different stories of what could have happened, mostly about Anastasia. I had not heard anything about Maria. It was interesting to read about her and what she may have been like. The incredible detail of the writing makes you feel as though you are there. Not a quick read, it takes you through the pain, suffering, starvation and cruel living conditions in Russia at that time, also weaving in a more recent day (1973) character in Australia. Smoothly done. Holds your interest until the very end. Mild sexual content.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#TheLostDaughter #NetGalley #GillPaul #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

SuperReaderChick

18 days ago

I have been dying to read this book ever since first learning about it. The synopsis was very unique and intriguing. Paul did a terrific job of weaving these storylines together.
I haven't had much of a chance to read many stories about Maria Romanov, so I already liked that I was going to get a better glimpse into her life and person. The scenes described from that fateful night in July absolutely chilled me.
Val's story was very strong as well and really had me on edge as she had to tiptoe through her life. She was such a great character and so easy to cheer for as the book went along.
There were so many points within both storylines where anxiety over their plight took hold of me, That is truly a sign of brilliant writing to create such an emotion within the reader.
The research that went into this book and the clarity of the details was brilliantly done. Paul did a tremendous job with this story and left me completely satisfied by the end. I cannot wait for others to read this book. I know it will absolutely stick with me for quite a while.

Anonymous

19 days ago

A delightful take on Romanov history, Paul explores the life of Grand Duchess Maria in this “what if” narrative. The alternative history explores the escape and survival of third daughter Maria while weaving in the tale of a second protagonist set in 1970’s Australia. Two women faced with seemingly insurmountable journeys find commonality in inner strength, community, and love. Paul’s ability to merge the two life stories in a complicated yet approachable narrative is masterful. Taking from historically accurate cues the author paints a haunting view of post-revolution communism while creating characters that are sympathetic and endearing. A must-read for historical fiction lovers!

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